In a fiery speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Thursday, National Rifle Association’s Vice President Wayne LaPierre claimed that socialists are operating a smear campaign against the second amendment. Their agenda is, according to LaPierre, receiving support everywhere from elementary schools to congressional Democrats.

“If they seize power, if these so-called European socialists take over the House, and the Senate,” said LaPierre. “And God forbid they get the White House again, our American freedoms could be lost and our country will be changed forever.”

By “again,” LaPierre was referring to the not-actually-socialist Obama era.

President Trump’s election, while crucial, can’t turn away the wave of these new European-style socialists bearing down upon us. I’m not just talking about Bernie Sanders. I mean, he’s near the end of his career. But how about Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Bill DeBlasio, Andrew Cuomo, Christopher Murphy, and Keith Ellison? They are not Democrats in the mold of John F. Kennedy or Tip O’Neill.

Advertisement

LaPierre’s preferred party may currently have control of both the House and Senate—as well as the majority of state governorships. But instead of sitting pretty, he’s encouraging conservatives to be anxious and frightened of the “socialism” threatening America’s “most basic freedoms.”

“You name the group, and [socialists] will find a way to turn them into victims. They keep their movement growing by finding someone to be offended by something every minute of every day. From the Occupy movement, to Black Lives Matter, to antifa, they agitate the offended, promote uncivil discourse, and ignore any sense of due process and fairness to destroy their enemies.”

The speech came across as more than a little defensive, which is maybe understandable considering the fact that NRA-backed Senator Marco Rubio and NRA Spokesperson Dana Loesch were savagely dunked on by Parkland students, teachers, and parents last night during a CNN town hall.

When he wasn’t lamenting the deterioration of American values, or accusing the left and the media of exploiting tragedy for political gain, LaPierre was busy characterizing college campuses as breeding grounds for socialist barbarism. They have apparently already succeeded in destroying the First Amendment at Berkeley, according to LaPierre, because conservative ideology isn’t respected there: “If you still think we have full first amendment freedom in this country, try going right now out to Berkeley and speaking out of conservative causes, or even the second amendment,” he said.

This, of course, isn’t an actual violation of the first amendment, but why bother with technicalities? Let’s get back to socialism ruining everything.

Advertisement

“On college campuses, The Communist Manifesto is one of the most frequently assigned texts. Karl Marx is the most assigned economist,” said LaPierre. “And there are now over 100 chapters of Young Democratic Socialists of America at many universities, and students are even earning academic credit for promoting socialist causes.”

Yeah, that one lefty bro you know who is in DSA is enemy number one of the NRA. Just, please, don’t tell him that; it’ll go to his head.